Democrats Hold Shadow Hearings to ‘Defend Democracy’ Against SAVE Act

Ranking Member Joseph Morelle (D-NY) of the House Administration Committee, joined by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Democrats, will hold unofficial “shadow hearings” this week in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The events—set for Tuesday in LA and Thursday in San Francisco—will feature testimony from progressive voting rights groups and “experts” including the League of Women Voters, Common Cause, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).

The California Representatives expected to participate include:

• Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11)
• Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (CA-33)
• Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
• Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43)
• Rep. Linda Sánchez (CA-38)
• Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28)
• Rep. Norma Torres (CA-35), a member of the House Administration Committee
• Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44)
• Rep. Gil Cisneros (CA-31)
• Rep. Laura Friedman (CA-30)
• Rep. Luz Rivas (CA-29)

The stated goal of the unofficial hearings are to “defend democracy” against alleged “attacks” by President Trump and House Republicans, who have warned of the risks in mail-in voting, ballot harvesting, and potential non-citizen participation. The hearings are widely viewed as a partisan publicity stunt against federal efforts to require citizenship verification, clean voter rolls, and stricter integrity measures.

“In my view, there is nothing more urgent, in this moment, than protecting American democracy,” said Ranking Member Morelle. “Sadly, we find ourselves in a moment where democracy’s defenses are under attack. We will not let President Trump and House Republicans’ efforts to take over our elections prevail. We’re going to use every tool in our toolbox and that includes working with pro-democracy allies in communities across the country. I look forward to hearing about the work being done in California to protect democracy as we fight on the ground and in Congress.”

These are not official congressional proceedings but narrative-shaping forums outside the Republican-controlled committee process.

The U.S. Constitution grants states primary authority over administering elections, including voter registration, ballot processing, and polling place operations. However, Congress holds significant federal oversight through its power to regulate elections for federal offices (House, Senate, and Presidential).

Key federal roles include:

• Enacting laws like the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which requires states to maintain accurate and current voter rolls.
• The Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which sets minimum standards for voting systems and provisional ballots.
• Potential legislation such as the SAVE Act, which would mandate proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration in federal elections.
• Oversight by committees like the House Administration Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal election laws, campaign finance, and House election contests.
• Department of Justice enforcement actions against states for failing to comply with federal voter roll maintenance requirements.
• Federal funding tied to election administration, which can include conditions for compliance.

While states like California design much of their own voting rules—universal mail-in ballots, same-day registration, and ballot harvesting—federal law sets guardrails against fraud and ensures access. When blue states resist basic safeguards like voter ID or citizenship checks, federal authorities can investigate, sue for non-compliance, or pursue legislative remedies.

California’s election system has long drawn scrutiny for its lax standards. The state’s universal mail-in ballots, same-day registration, ballot harvesting, and resistance to voter ID have fueled ongoing concerns about vulnerabilities that could enable voter fraud.

In September 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice sued California and other states for failing to provide access to their voter registration rolls as required under federal law. The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division argued that clean voter rolls are essential to free and fair elections, and that states refusing to share the data were violating the NVRA and HAVA.

The DOJ has pursued actions on inaccurate voter rolls, while alarming reports have highlighted hundreds of thousands of non-citizens—approximately 449,000—excused from jury duty in California counties, raising serious red flags about the accuracy of the voter rolls used for elections.

In January 2026, the California Supreme Court struck down Huntington Beach’s local voter ID ordinance, reinforcing the state’s opposition to even modest safeguards. 

Investigative reporting has also exposed suspected irregularities, including undercover video evidence of potential fraud vulnerabilities on Los Angeles’ Skid Row.

Morelle and Pelosi’s shadow hearings arrive amid broader national pushes—including executive actions and proposals like the SAVE Act—for proof-of-citizenship requirements and roll maintenance. Democrats frame the events as protecting “voting rights,” yet the party has consistently opposed common-sense reforms that enjoy strong public support nationwide, and in California. 

Reform California, led by Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego), recently submitted over 1.35 million signatures to qualify a Voter ID initiative for the November 2026 ballot. The measure, a proposed constitutional amendment, would require photo identification for in-person voting, citizenship verification for voter registration, and stronger safeguards to maintain accurate voter rolls—measures that polls show enjoy broad bipartisan support among Californians.

As these unofficial hearings unfold in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the hypocrisy is glaring: Democrats claim to “defend voting rights” while California clings to practices that invite voter fraud, defies federal demands for clean voter rolls, and fights grassroots efforts to enact basic integrity reforms like Voter ID.